By Grace Fenderson,Special to the Sun Journal

POLAND – Selectmen voted 3-0 Wednesday night to reappoint ailing Town Manager Richard Chick, who some hold responsible for the tax miscalculation that has the town owing $2.7 million to Poland Spring Water Co.

Chairwoman Sandra Knowles said she is negotiating with Poland Spring Water Co. about the town’s error in managing the Tax Increment Financing agreement. She said company company representatives expressed a willingness to let Poland repay the money over an extended period of time without interest. Poland Spring is currently putting together a payment plan for the town, she said, and the new tax rate would be set after officials receive hard numbers from the company.

“Don’t think the mill rate is going to go up 3, 4, 5 points; it’s simply not,” she said.

Chick said he is contacting Maine Revenue Services to help him find out the correct components for managing the TIF properly.

Some of the 30 people in attendance expressed surprise that Knowles was negotiating for the town because the board never voted on it.

“I had no idea you were negotiating with Poland Spring. That’s news to me,” Selectman Wendy Sanborn said to Knowles.

Asked why she notified three other board members but not Sanborn, Knowles simply said, “It was my choice.”

“That’s illegal!” cried Sanborn and some residents.

“I’m done,” Sanborn said, and walked out of the meeting to supportive applause and returned minutes later to sit in the audience.

Many people stood up to voice their concern, disappointment and anger at the town’s handling of the issue.

When asked how the problem occurred, Knowles said the mill rate was set too low six years ago and was not caught in audits of town finances.

She also said Poland Spring shoulders some of the blame because it never noticed the missing money. She said part of the reason for that is the company had several projects it never started and therefore never called on the money.

“This would have been picked up significantly sooner had those projects gone forward,” Knowles said.

Chick’s reappointment was another controversial subject. Knowles, Reginald Jordon and Lionel Ferland voted to keep him in office another year, Erland Torrey was absent, and Sanborn had left the meeting at that time.

Due to Chick’s illness, Rosemary Roy has been serving as interim Town Manager, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, the board voted.

George Sanborn presented a petition for an ordinance to recall public officials. The ordinance would require 300 signatures.

Sanborn was told to present the petition to the town clerk to get the ordinance on the next meeting agenda.

After the meeting ended, many people gathered outside to talk about the events of the night, saying they thought that due to his illness, Chick should step down.

Jordon, Ferland and Sanborn also stayed behind to discuss the meeting outside. Asked her reaction to Knowles not advising her about negotiating with Poland Spring, Sanborn said she thinks it’s illegal, and she plans to contact an attorney.

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